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Soccer Player Dies in Brazil After Floor Pierces Abdomen (Video)

Here’s a story that will make you wince in pain just thinking about it and shrug off any future minor splinters. A futsal soccer player died in Brazil after a piece of the court’s wooden floor pierced his abdomen. It looked as if the 23-year old player was fully alert and well as he was being strapped to the gurney, but died of hemorrhagic shock a day after the game.

Making a play on an oncoming forward, Robson Rocha Costa made a slide tackle near the goal line. Apparently, a piece of the surface hit his thigh and went up into his intestines. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where he had surgery to fix the problems, but he succumbed to the injuries a day later.

I never understood playing soccer in old gyms, and seeing this story makes me think back to all the times I ill-advisedly slid across a gym’s surface to make a tackle. This is a very unfortunate, and bizarre accident, that hopefully schools will use as an example to create awareness for grungy gyms and finding these soccer leagues actual fields or legitimate indoor stadiums with turf. It’s unfortunate a life had to be lost for this. It conjures up bad memories of the luger at the Olympics whose death spurred more serious discussions regarding the safety of the luge courses.